Wishaw
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Main Street, Wishaw |
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Wishaw shown within North Lanarkshire | |
Population | 28,565 (2001 Census) |
OS grid reference | NS795555 |
• Edinburgh | 31 mi (50 km) |
• London | 389 mi (626 km) |
Council area | |
Lieutenancy area | |
Country | Scotland |
Sovereign state | United Kingdom |
Post town | WISHAW |
Postcode district | ML2 |
Dialling code | 01698 |
Police | Scottish |
Fire | Scottish |
Ambulance | Scottish |
EU Parliament | Scotland |
UK Parliament | |
Scottish Parliament | |
Wishaw is a town and former burgh in North Lanarkshire, Scotland. It is on the edge of the Clyde Valley, 15 miles (24 km) south-east of Glasgow City Centre.
The main areas of Wishaw are: Cambusnethan, Coltness, Craigneuk, Gowkthrapple, Dimsdale, Greenhead, Wishawhill, Netherton, Pather and Waterloo. There are two adjoining villages, often included as part of the town for administrative purposes: Overtown and Newmains.
The Burgh of Wishaw was formed in 1855 ten years before its neighbour, Motherwell, with which it formed the joint large burgh in 1920 (the Burgh of Motherwell and Wishaw) until its dissolution when Scottish local authorities were restructured in 1975. The Motherwell and Wishaw constituency is represented in the UK Parliament by Marion Fellows MP. In the Scottish Parliament the constituency is represented by Clare Adamson.
In the census of 2011, the population of Wishaw (as defined above) was 39,369.
It is not certain how the name Wishaw came about. The town is probably named after Wishaw House, built in the woods by the South Calder Water, which was likely built some time after the selling of Coltness, Wishaw, Watstein and Stain to Hamilton of Uddsten, the predecessor to Lord Belhaven. It was probably in these days that the estate was named, "wis" being Old Scotch for water, and "shaw" meaning forest or wood. Other theories exist; one such is that it may be derived from the Scots for "Wicket gate in the wood", and that it used to be called Wygateshaw. Alternatively, it may be from the Old English for "Willow Wood". Others believe the name was originally Viashaw, meaning way or road through the wood. Yet another theory is that the name derives from "Wee Shaw", meaning small wood.